


Three Days, Three Nights

by masulevin



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 05:02:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11936853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masulevin/pseuds/masulevin
Summary: When Cullen has to go home to visit his family for a three day weekend, he's afraid that they're going to try and set him up... again. The Iron Bull suggests that Asha Trevelyan go with him and pretend to be his girlfriend, keeping Cullen's family happy and keeping Cullen free of their meddling.Neither of them is really prepared for what that means.





	1. The Week Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kagetsukai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kagetsukai/gifts), [Sloth_Race](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sloth_Race/gifts).



> Tropey, tropey goodness, friends.
> 
> Additional tags will be added as I update. Plot this first chapter, fake dating in the next six.

“Any fun plans for the holiday weekend?”

Asha looks up when she hears Bull’s voice booming in from the hallway, but she can just see his dress shirt straining across his broad back. He’s talking to Cullen, then, and she turns her attention back to her computer screen. The cursor blinks in the blank word document, a silent judgment on the amount of work she’s done so far this morning.

Cullen’s reply is too quiet for her to hear, and she reaches for her coffee cup without looking at it before raising it to her lips. 

It’s empty.

“Not looking forward to it, then?” Bull’s voice is too loud, distracting. Or perhaps that’s just her little headache begging for more coffee before she can write any more letters. 

She stands and stretches out her shoulders before moving to push past Bull to go to the little break room down the hall. He moves just enough to more fully block her path, glancing over his shoulder to send her a little smirk.

“I bet the boss here would be able to help you with that,” he says, moving again so that Asha can see directly into Cullen’s office. He’s sitting at his desk, glasses perched on his nose and sleeves pushed up toward his elbows, a scowl and blush warring on his face.

Asha leans against her doorframe, holding her empty mug in both hands. “Are you having trouble with one of the kids, Cullen?” she asks, tilting her head to the side to study his expression.

He shakes his head at her, but it’s Bull who answers. “Cullen here has a perfectly good invitation for a weekend at his folks’, but he doesn’t want to go home  _ alone _ .”

Cullen pulls his glasses off and rubs at his forehead, a heavy sigh making his shoulders sag.

“Wait--” Asha resists the impulse to rub her forehead in a sympathetic echo. “What’s wrong with going home alone?”

Cullen’s face is steadily reddening, and he glances from Asha to Bull and back before answering. “Last year, Rosalie invited one of her friends to be my date and didn’t tell me until she was there, and then she  _ followed  _ me around all day. She kept pinching my--pinching  _ me _ .” Cullen corrects whatever it was he was starting to say with a little cough, and Asha shifts so she can hide her grin behind her hand.

And then Bull’s words come back to her. _ The boss here would be able to help you out with that.  _ Her cheeks start to heat too, and she sees the moment that Bull realizes his plan is starting to work. She hates him for it, but only for a moment before her traitorous body is taking over for her brain.

“I could go with you,” she offers, making an effort to sound casual even as Cullen’s gaze snaps back to hers in surprise. “I’ll fight off any of your sister’s friends who try to make a move on you.” She grins and holds her breath.

She’s been wanting to spend more time with Cullen for months. And on a vacation--even one to hang out with his family--would be a good opportunity to see past Work Cullen and get to know the Real Cullen. 

And it isn’t like she has plans otherwise. She was going to spend the three-day weekend getting rid of the last of the moving boxes still in her apartment, maybe paint her bedroom or have a movie marathon. Spending a few days with Cullen has the potential to be much more exciting.

Bull’s grin is starting to look smug. “See? It’s perfect. You go with Cullen, see how true Fereldans celebrate their Independence Day, and his sister leaves him alone. It’s a win-win.”

Asha turns her attention back to Cullen, who is now looking at Bull with a pleading expression. “How  _ do _ you people celebrate it, anyway?”

Cullen heaves another sigh. “Eating. A  _ lot.  _ Fireworks. Swimming. Games.” He starts to shuffle papers around on his desk, indicating he’s done with the conversation.

Asha tries to picture Cullen hanging out with an annoying sister and a bunch of kids, eating pie and playing games, wearing swim trunks and splashing around in the water… 

“That… doesn’t sound so bad,” she says, voice a little too dreamy. She’s definitely blushing now.

Cullen looks up at her, eyes still wide, and she shrugs. She’s committed to this now.

“Free food and fireworks? I think I could deal with that for a weekend.” Cullen is still staring at her, forehead furrowed, so she looks up at Bull’s shit-eating grin. She frowns and holds up her empty cup. “I just came out for coffee, not to make weekend plans.”

Finally, Bull steps out of her way, and she scurries down the hallway to the break room, Bull’s laughter following behind her.

She takes her time refilling her cup, doctoring her coffee with a little more care than strictly required, trying to give Bull time to go back to his desk to leave her and Cullen alone. Not only do they have work to get done--a little more than usual, given their vacations coming up--but she doesn’t want to have to look either of them in the face and pretend like she doesn’t think the idea of spending a three day weekend with Cullen is more appealing than it should be.

Bull is gone when she returns, and when she glances in Cullen’s office, he has his headphones in. He needs privacy, then, so she shuts her door behind her and settles back into her chair.

There’s an instant message waiting for her when she banishes the computer’s screensaver.

_ [Cullen R:] So about that. _

That’s it. No indication of what he might be thinking.

Asha slips her shoes off under her desk and cracks her knuckles.

_ [Asha T:] yeah? _

_ [Cullen R:] I’m sorry Bull ambushed you.  _

_ [Asha T:] lol he’s done worse _

_ [Asha T:] I’m not upset _

_ [Asha T:] don’t worry about it _

_ [Cullen R:] Good. _

A few seconds pass where Asha stares at the little window, waiting to see if he has more to say. The icon that indicates he’s typing appears and disappears for a few times before the next message comes through.

_ [Cullen R:] I don’t suppose you would actually be interested in coming with me? They live in South Reach so it’s a few hours away, but nothing we can’t easily drive. _

_ [Cullen R:] Mia would be thrilled if I actually brought someone with me. _

_ [Asha T:] Rosalie’s friend will be disappointed! _

_ [Cullen R:] She’ll be okay. Trust me. _

Asha stifles her laugh behind her hand as though he would be able to hear across the hall and through her closed door. 

_ [Asha T:] how could I abandon you to such a fate? when are you leaving and coming back? _

_ [Cullen R:] I’m driving down Friday afternoon after work. I’ll probably leave here about four. And then I’m driving back Monday after breakfast so I can have time to relax before coming back to work Tuesday. _

_ [Cullen R:] I would pay for everything. You wouldn’t have to worry about it. We'll just stay at Mia’s house. _

_ [Asha T:] and I just… pretend to be your girlfriend for a couple of days? _

_ [Asha T:] seems like a fair trade _

_ [Cullen R:] Is that a yes? _

_ [Asha T:] Yes, Cullen, I will be your girlfriend for three and a half days this weekend, provided you keep me well-fed. _

_ [Asha T:] we should come up with our cover story before we go. like how long we’ve been together and stuff. _

_ [Asha T:] just in case _

_ [Asha T:] Mia seems the nosy type _

_ [Cullen R:] She is. _

_ [Cullen R:] I have an appointment that I need to prepare for. Can we meet to talk everything over later? Maybe over dinner? _

Asha’s chest tightens, and she takes a deep, calming breath before mentally berating herself for her reaction. This was her suggestion.

_ [Asha T:] that’s fine _

_ [Asha T:] just let me know when works for you _

_ [Cullen R:] Will do. _

_ [Cullen R is unavailable] _

Asha pulls her emails up and stares at the ones sitting unread in her inbox, then at her coffee cup, then at her watch.

It’s only 9:15.

This is going to be a long day.

\---

Cullen knocks on her open door just after 5 that evening, leaning on the frame with a casual smile. Asha blinks up at him, rubbing her eyes, dry after a long day at her computer. His hair is starting to fall out of its style, curling more from his fingers running through it during the day, and it makes her smile like it always does.

“Still have time for dinner?” he asks, then pauses to glance over his shoulder as though checking to be sure they’re alone. He probably is; Bull would never let them forget it if he thought they were actually acting on his suggestion.

“Of course!” Asha smiles a little brighter, locking her computer for the night before slipping her shoes back on under the desk. Cullen’s eyes drop down to her bare toes for a moment before he looks back up, meeting her gaze again. “I’m starving. What do you feel like?”

Cullen shrugs a little, taking a step back into the hallway as Asha picks up her purse and slips it over her shoulder. Asha is only a few inches shorter than him in her heels, and the realization makes him arch his brows in surprise as she brushes past.

“Do you like Antivan food?” she asks, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he’s following. “There’s a place a couple of blocks over that Josephine and I go to sometimes? It’s delicious.” They pass Josephine’s office as she’s explaining, and she waves at the other Antivan. Josephine’s full lips part slightly in surprise at seeing Cullen and Asha walking out together, but she waves back without saying anything else.

“I… am not sure,” Cullen finally says, holding the front door open for her while shading his eyes from the sun. She murmurs a thank you and waits for him on the sidewalk, head tilted to the side to indicate that he should continue speaking.

He stops a few paces away, an awkward distance, and clears his throat. He adjusts the strap of his computer bag over his shoulder, then runs his fingers through his hair, half taming the curls and half pushing them out into a more wild mess.

She smiles and barely keeps herself from licking her lips.

“That sounds fine. Did you drive, or--” He looks out at the parking lot, over the few gathered cars, and she shakes her head. 

“I usually just take the bus.” She hasn’t needed a car so far, thankfully, Denerim’s public transit working in her favor.

Cullen doesn’t seem phased, fishing through his pants pocket until he finds his keys. Asha eyes the little mabari keychain--the one she got him for secret Satinalia--and grins, though he misses the expression looking over her shoulder at his car. “I can drive us, if that--”

“That’s fine,” she interrupts, gently, not wanting to waste more time in awkward back-and-forth. They’ll need to get this out of their systems before the weekend. They may not be the  _ best  _ of friends, but they’ve never been quite this… stilted before. 

The ride to the restaurant is silent save for Asha’s quiet directions. Cullen guides his little car through the city with the same care and attention he gives everything he does, following the traffic laws to a T as far as she can tell.

They beat the dinner rush by just a few minutes, and are already sitting at a table when the front of the restaurant begins to crowd. Asha looks back at Cullen with a tiny smirk, settling as comfortably as she can in the narrow booth.

“So tell me about your family, Cullen.” Asha sips at her water as Cullen considers before fishing his phone from his pocket.

A few taps at the screen and he’s showing her a picture of all of them together, probably from the year before. He’s standing at the back, his arm pointedly not around the blonde standing next to him--probably the date he’d been avoiding--a shirt with Ferelden’s crest on it stretching nicely across his chest.

She rips her eyes away from that to take in the rest of the scene. “Mia’s the oldest,” he explains, pointing at a woman with hair the same honey color of his. “That’s her husband, Thomas, and their three kids: Lori, Ellie, and Thom.”

Thomas has very red hair, almost orange, and the three kids all have hair with varying degrees of red as well. Lori’s is curly like Cullen’s, and she stands sullenly at the edge of the picture with her arms crossed.

“This is Bran and his… ex.” Cullen points at the third man in the photograph, a little shorter and stockier than himself, but otherwise nearly identical, and stammers over what to call the slim elven woman by his side. Asha squints a little, fingers itching to take his phone from him so she can zoom in on the woman, but she can still see the slight bump under her sundress. “They had a son a few months ago, and she just… left. Mia said he’s still really broken up over it.”

_ Mia said.  _ Cullen didn’t know first hand, so he hasn’t been talking to Branson at all. Asha glances up, hoping to read his expression, but he doesn’t look back at her. 

“And then there’s Rosalie?” Asha asks, pushing past the question. Rosalie is standing next to Mia, holding Thom. She looks less like Cullen than the others, though her hair is the same color. It’s long and straight, only curling at the ends, and her smile is contagious. Asha finds herself smiling back before Cullen pulls the phone away from her face to speak with the waitress.

“When was the last time you visited them?” Asha’s gentle question breaks the silence as the waitress disappears with their order, and he hesitates before answering.

“I was home for two days at Satinalia. Before that… it was last Independence Day.”

Asha raises her eyebrows at the admission, but Cullen just studies the table between them, a light blush on his cheeks. He barely goes home even though it’s an easy car ride. If Asha had family and they lived that close, she would visit them all the time. There’s a story here, and she’s curious but afraid to ask.

She just nods instead, fingers playing with the condensation on the sides of her glass. “So we’ll have to say we started dating since Satinalia. Over the last couple of months.”

Cullen nods and finally looks up to meet her gaze. His eyes are tight, the little wrinkles at the corners deepening as his lips start to twist into a frown. “Is this a good idea?”

Asha opens her mouth to respond, then closes it again to consider. It probably  _ isn’t  _ a good idea, not if she’s being honest with herself. Not just because of how Cullen’s family would react if they found out they’re just pretending, but because being around him for three whole days and pretending to date might literally kill her. 

There’s temptation there, though. And Asha’s never been good at resisting temptation.

“I don’t think it’s a  _ bad  _ idea.” She bites the inside of her lip to wait for his reaction, but he just chuckles. 

“That’s a ringing endorsement if I’ve ever heard one.”

It’s Asha’s turn to laugh, and she does so loudly before abruptly covering her mouth with her hand. Cullen grins back at her. 

“I think the closer we can stick to the truth, the easier it will be. You asked me out to dinner, we get along, things are serious enough that I’m okay meeting your family.” Asha shrugs and turns one hand palm-up. That’s all she knows how to say.

“I haven’t met your family yet,” he comments. “Are they in Antiva?”

Asha hesitates before answering. “I don’t really have any family.” Cullen blinks at that, eyebrows drawing together, but he waits for her to explain. After a moment, she does: “I have a brother but I haven’t seen him in a long time. My parents are gone.”

Cullen’s face falls. “Oh… I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” His fingers twitch like he might reach out to her, but he folds them in his lap instead. “I lost my parents ten years ago.”

Asha’s smile is sad. “I’m sorry too. It’s good you still have your siblings, then.”

“I… yes.” Another hesitation, the same hurt he isn’t sharing. 

She still doesn’t push. “Have you told Mia yet?” Cullen’s eyes widen even as the rest of his body freezes, and Asha covers a laugh with her hand. “You should… do that.”

Cullen doesn’t move until Asha raises her eyebrows at him, then he’s all fumbling fingers and reddening ears as he digs his phone out of his front pocket. He taps at the screen for a few moments, composing a simple text to Mia:  _ Is it ok if I bring my girlfriend this weekend? She wants to meet everyone. _

It’s barely sent before a reply comes back. He hasn’t even had time to put his phone down on the table to wait.

He sighs and then turns the phone around to Asha. Texts are still coming in, one question at a time.

_ [Mia Gregory:] Your who? _

_ [Mia Gregory:] When did you get a girlfriend? _

_ [Mia Gregory:] OF COURSE YOU CAN BRING HER _

_ [Mia Gregory:] Who is she? What’s her name? Where did you even meet a girl? _

_ [Mia Gregory:] Send me a picture. _

Asha is laughing by the time the demand for a picture comes in, but Cullen is still pink. “She wants a picture of me.”

“Maker,” Cullen sighs, rubbing his face with his hand. “You don’t have to do that.”

Her eyes are dancing. “Oh, let’s take one. It’ll be fun.” She scoots out of her side of their booth and moves to sit beside him, pressing close enough that he has to put his arm around her shoulders. She opens up the camera app on his phone and holds it up so she can fit both of their faces in the frame and gives a brilliant smile as she snaps the picture.

She hands him the phone before returning to her seat, ignoring the little grin she gets from a woman at the next booth over. “Send it to me too?”

He blinks again. “Alright…”

He sends the picture, then goes back to answer Mia’s other questions as Asha waits patiently, playing with her straw.

_ [Cullen Rutherford:] (picture is attached) _

_ [Cullen Rutherford:] Her name is Asha. She works with me at Haven.  _

_ [Mia Gregory:] Oh she’s beautiful! _

_ [Mia Gregory:] Are you at dinner right now? Stop texting me while you’re on a date! _

_ [Mia Gregory:] Rude. _

_ [Mia Gregory:] See you Friday :) _

Cullen sighs softly and puts his phone face down on the table and finally looks up to meet Asha’s eyes. She’s still smiling at him, her chin resting on her knuckles, her face soft and open. Her cheeks turn red when their eyes meet and she glances over at the waitress finally bringing their food.

They both thank her and she winks before going to check on her other tables. The conversation quiets down as they begin to eat, Asha tucking in with excitement and little contented sighs, Cullen with more hesitation as he tries the new food.

When Asha looks back up at Cullen, he’s still staring at his food, though he’s smiling at it now instead of his initial focused scowl. “So,” she says. “Tell me about yourself.”

He looks up at her and grins a little, and she watches the way his scar pulls the right side up higher. “What do you want to know?”

She forces herself to look away from his lips and shrugs. “Everything.”

\---

Cullen waits until Asha disappears into her apartment building before driving away, back to his side of Denerim. He leaves the radio off, letting the silence ground his thoughts as he waits for a red light to turn green.

Mia texts him again, and instead of replying to her next question, he scrolls up to the picture he sent her. He stares into Asha’s green eyes that seem to glow in the restaurant lights. Then his gaze drops to her lips, full and red, smiling back at him.

A horn blares behind him, and he jumps. The light ahead of him switched to green while he was staring down at that picture, and he swears quietly as he drops his phone into the passenger seat so he can drive without its distraction.

This… may be a mistake.


	2. The First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Asha and Cullen drive to South Reach to meet his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! September was busier than I expected since I participated in a few character appreciation weeks over on [my tumblr](http://ma-sulevin.tumblr.com/), and October may be just as busy too. Hopefully not so busy that you all have to wait another month for the next update.

Cullen and Asha don’t mention their plans to anyone else at work over the next four days, though they occasionally talk between their offices, nailing down plans and answering some of Mia’s questions that Cullen can’t answer himself.

_ [Cullen R:] Now she wants to know if you’re allergic to anything? _

_ [Asha T:] penicillin, but unless she’s a doctor that won’t be a problem _

_ [Cullen R:] Any animals? They have a dog. _

_ [Asha T:] dogs are fine, but cats are better _

_ [Cullen R:] … _

_ [Cullen R:] I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. _

_ [Asha T:] ;) _

Even Bull doesn’t bring it back up, though he has to know that Asha is going away this weekend since Dorian agreed to check on Asha’s little black cat to make sure she doesn’t get bored and decide to ruin another set of drapes.

Haven’s attitude shifts on Friday when she shows up with a weekend bag slung over her shoulder and a little smile on her face that she keeps having to bite back.

Cullen’s already in his office when she walks past, and he sends her a little lopsided grin when he sees her, but he doesn’t speak, focused more on his fingers flying over his keyboard.

She sees why when she sits down at her desk and unlocks her machine.

_ [Cullen R:] All packed? _

The question brings a soft smile to her face, though she takes her time settling in before she responds. She opens her agenda to the day’s page, picks up her pens, takes off her shoes, takes a moment to start some soft music from her phone, and then she’s ready to face the day, Cullen included.

_ [Asha T:] I’m ready! _

_ [Asha T:] Dorian’s looking after Reina so I'll be ready to go as soon as we finish up here _

A pause, then. The little notification appears to let her know Cullen is typing, then it disappears. Asha forces herself to look away from the screen for a moment, shuffling through her to do list to pick her first task of the morning.

Then, unable to help herself:

_ [Asha T:] I’m looking forward to it _

She chews on the inside of her lip as she waits, cheeks already heating up at the innocent admission, but Cullen doesn’t make her stew in her embarrassment for more than a few seconds.

_ [Cullen R:] Me too. _

\---

The soft knocking on her door that afternoon makes Asha jump, dropping her pen to the floor. Josephine laughs lightly and leans against the frame, one hand on the doorknob, and waits for Asha to compose herself before she speaks.

“Do you… have a minute to talk?” Josephine tilts her head to the side as she asks, and Asha narrows her eyes slightly at her friend.

“Sure?”

Josephine’s shoulders relax slightly as she steps completely into Asha’s office and closes the door behind her. The latch catches with a soft  _ snick  _ and Asha has to resist the urge to shiver at the sound. Josephine almost never closes the door for their chats at work.

“Is something wrong, Josie?” she asks, leaning forward onto her elbows as Josephine pulls the extra chair from its spot by the wall to in front of Asha’s desk. “With one of the kids, or--”

“No, no.” Josephine waves her hand as though that can wipe away Asha’s worry. “I wanted to ask you… about your weekend plans.”

Asha takes a steadying breath and props her chin on her fist. “As my friend or as HR?”

Josephine crosses her ankles and tucks them under her chair. “The former. Mostly.” She cracks a small smile that Asha echoes, then jumps into her questioning: “You’re going to spend the weekend with Cullen’s family?”

Asha nods. “He invited me.”

“Is that… a good idea?” Josephine’s face is soft, concern clear in her warm eyes, and Asha’s flare of irritation quickly disappears. “I know you’re trying to help him, but… I don’t want  _ you  _ to get hurt.”

Asha smiles back at her. “I’ll be fine. It won’t be a big deal.” When Josephine’s expression doesn’t change, Asha tries again. “We’re just friends, Josie.”

“I know. I know, but…”

“I promise I’ll be fine. It won’t cause problems between us or at work. You can trust me. It’s just three days--well, two and a half, really. We’re driving back Monday morning.” She reaches out one arm across the desk to take Josephine’s hand, and Josephine closes the distance between them to squeeze Asha’s fingers.

“Call me if there are any problems?”

Asha squeezes her hand and then lets go. “I will, Josie. Stop worrying.”

Josephine clucks her tongue once and shakes her head, but stands to leave Asha alone. “Have fun, then. Try to get some work done before you leave.”

“Go away, Jo,” Asha says, grimacing for the half second she can before starting to giggle. Josephine winks at her and leaves the door open when she walks down the hall back to her office.

Bull is in Cullen’s door again, one arm braced on the frame as the rest of his body leans into the office. Cullen’s voice is, as always, too quiet for Asha to hear, but Bull’s responses are clear.

“Well, have fun then,” Bull laughs. “You’re welcome for the suggestion.” Cullen responds and then Bull is laughing louder, and when he steps away he glances in Asha’s office. She doesn’t even pretend to not be eavesdropping.

Bull raises one hand in a kind of salute. “Cullen was just filling me in on your weekend plans.”

Asha narrows her eyes. “Don’t you have kids to counsel or a pack of hotdogs to eat, or something?”

Bull just chuckles. “Okay, boss. You two have fun!” He winks at her--one slow blink of his good eye, the other hidden behind his eyepatch--and then he leaves. She can’t quite see into Cullen’s office with the way their doors are set up, but she imagines she hears his heavy sigh when Bull disappears.

Her computer makes a quiet  _ bloop _ that draws her attention to a new message from Cullen.

_ [Cullen R:] Did they come down the hall together to ask us about our plans? _

_ [Cullen R:] Bull and Josephine. _

_ [Asha T:] yeah I think so _

_ [Asha T:] Josie was just being nosey I think _

_ [Asha T:] we’re fine _

An email comes through her inbox then, from one of their bigger donors, and she reads it and responds before turning back to her conversation. This weekend trip is taking up a lot more of her working time than she was expecting.

_ [Cullen R:] I’ll be ready to go right after 5 if that’s still good for you. _

_ [Asha T:] that should be fine :) _

Asha glances at the clock when Cullen doesn’t respond--she just has two more hours to wrap up everything she’s working on and be ready to leave.

To meet Cullen’s family.

To pretend to be his girlfriend for three days.

To be  _ alone  _ with him.

She covers her face with her hands and sighs.

\---

She finishes up before Cullen does, somehow, and double checks everything before shutting off her computer for the weekend. Her heart clenches whenever she thinks about what’s going to happen, about the time they’re going to spend together and the lies they’re going to have to tell to get away with it. She looks back through their conversations on her phone to remind herself of the little stories they invented ahead of time, and she’s grinning at the selfie they took at the restaurant when Cullen finds her.

“Are you ready?” he asks, voice tired. When she looks up at him, still smiling, she sees the dark circles under his eyes and the curls falling across his forehead. She nods and stands, grabbing her bag as she moves toward him.

“Bad day?” she asks, gently, and tentatively rests her hand on his arm. He jumps a little at the contact, then covers up the motion by taking her bag from her and slinging it over his shoulder.

He shrugs a little and avoids her gaze. “I… didn’t sleep well,” He starts down the hall to the front of their office and Asha hurries to catch up with him but doesn’t say anything back to him.

She doesn’t really know how to, and dread washes over her as she starts to think  _ they’re going to think we’re faking.  _

With the rest of the office empty as everyone took off early for the long weekend, Cullen pauses to lock the door behind them before leading Asha to his car. She steps into the passenger side and slips off her shoes as he drops her bag in the trunk with his.

He slides into the driver’s seat and buckles in before resting both hands on the steering wheel. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and Asha watches his eyelashes fluttering against his cheekbones until he exhales slowly and looks back at her.

“Ready?”

Ready to leave? Ready to hang out with his family? Ready to pretend to be in love with him while simultaneously pretending  _ not  _ to be in love with him? Her cheeks darken a little, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“I’m ready.”

His grin is lopsided and small, but it’s there, and Asha feels something in her chest relax at the sight. He shifts the car into reverse and guides it out of his space before turning onto the street.

Traffic heading out of Denerim is heavy as everyone flees the city for time at nearby lakes or the coast. Cullen is quiet, focused on navigating the streets and avoiding aggressive drivers, and after a few minutes Asha gives up on conversation in favor of pulling a book out of her purse.

Cullen glances over at her to see the title then returns his attention to the road. It’s part of a series that he recognizes, a fictionalization of the first blight. It’s the one where the Grey Wardens form and the tide is finally turned against the darkspawn. It’s terribly inaccurate and about to be turned into a television series if he remembers right.

He smiles when he hears her inhale sharply at whatever she’s read. She turns the page and releases that breath, and he grins again.

She’s… cute. It’s easier to ignore when they’re texting, or when they only see each other for a few minutes at a time, but trapped in a car for five hours…

She shifts in her seat, drawing one leg up underneath her, and props her elbow on the door. Cullen glances over and this time she catches him, arching a dark eyebrow at him before looking back at her book.

She’s picked up on the fact that he wants the ride to be quiet. She doesn’t want to bother him.

He merges onto the highway going south and Asha glances out the window at the passing signs.

“Ready for dinner?” Her stomach growls as she speaks, just a tiny thing, but it still makes her blush. 

Cullen chuckles and Asha’s blush darkens as he asks, “Where do you want to stop?”

\---

It’s well after dark by the time they reach Mia’s neighborhood, even with the late summer sunsets. Asha packs her book away when she has to start squinting at the text, but she and Cullen still mostly sit in silence.

She glances at him from the corner of her eye when he turns into Mia’s driveway, watches the way he grips the steering wheel just that much tighter for a moment as he sucks in a deep breath.

“You… okay?”

He clears his throat and lets go of the steering wheel like it’s burned him, dropping his hands to his seatbelt without looking at her. “I’m fine,” he says. When she just continues to stare at him, he clears his throat again and allows, “I have a bit of a headache.”

She clicks her tongue. “You should have said something. I could have driven--or, I think I have some elfroot pills in my bag if you want something to help?” She scoops her purse up from the floor by her feet before Cullen manages to speak again.

“I’m fine,” he says, a bit too loudly. Asha stares at him, one hand half in her bag, and then he grimaces and tries again. “I’m fine. I just need to get some sleep.” He offers her a half smile and his shoulders relax when she smiles back at him.

“Ready to go in?” Her voice is more gentle this time, her gaze trained on his face to see how he reacts. His eyes tighten a bit, his jaw becomes stiffer, but he still nods. “Let’s go, then.”

They both open their doors at the same time, climbing out and stretching stiff muscles. She takes a deep breath of the clear country air and smiles at the lack of smog clouding it. The sound of the trunk popping open draws her attention, and she spins around to grab her bag before Cullen can.

She isn’t fast enough, and he takes a step away from her before she can try to pull it from his grasp. 

“I can carry it,” she objects, trying again.

He takes another step back and smiles at her. “I know you can, but let me.”

She opens her mouth to argue, but the front door opens and the yard light comes on, bathing them both in bright white light that makes them squint and freeze just a few inches away from each other.

“Are we being robbed?” A woman’s voice, full of laughter, rings out from the front porch. Asha jumps and snatches her hand back from where it’s still hovering by Cullen’s shoulder, and the woman laughs again.

Cullen’s face breaks into a grin after just a moment. “Mia!”

Asha rearranges her face into a smile as Mia walks down the pavement to join them. Cullen steps between them and drops his bag to the ground so he can wrap Mia in a one-armed hug.

She squeezes tightly, fingers digging into his back, and then she’s pushing him away to offer Asha the same treatment. Asha hugs back almost as tightly, meeting Cullen’s eyes over her shoulder, holding her breath without really meaning to.

When Mia releases her, the two women take a long look at each other. Mia looks so much like Cullen, tall and strong with honey hair gathered up in a bun. She’s absolutely beaming, the smile making her eyes wrinkle at the corners. Asha can’t help but smile back.

“I’m so happy you came,” Mia says, turning back to her house and looping her arm with Asha’s. “The kids are all asleep, but Thomas is inside waiting to meet you too.”

She starts walking in, dragging Asha along with her, and grabs Cullen’s elbow as she walks past him. He huffs out a laugh and lets her drag him up the driveway, onto the porch, and into her house, only releasing them when they’re in the kitchen.

Asha can’t help but smile when she sees it. It’s warm and inviting, kids’ art and pictures all over the fridge, a candle burning on the island, dog toys piled up in one corner even though Asha can’t see a dog inside anywhere. 

“Do you want anything to drink? I can make coffee, or we have waters--” Mia is buzzing with energy, moving from the entryway to the pantry to the fridge and back, only stilling when the redheaded man from their family photo appears to wrap his arms around her. He’s not quite tall enough to rest his chin on her head, but he presses their cheeks together and grins at Asha and Cullen.

“Hey, man,” he says, nodding at Cullen. He turns a little, twisting Mia around with him so he can see Asha. “I’m Thomas! Nice to meet you.”

Asha rubs her upper arm with one hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m, uh, Asha.”

Mia raises her eyebrows a little, and Cullen walks up behind Asha to put his hand on her back. She catches her breath as his warmth seeps through her shirt, but she doesn’t jump even though she wants to. She leans her hip against him, hoping the motion looks casual, but that isn’t what Mia wants to comment on.

“Cullen didn’t tell me you’re from Antiva.”

Asha blinks, tensing slightly. “I--yes, I moved here a year ago,” she says carefully, trying to clear her accent a little so Mia can understand her better. “From Antiva City, near the coast.”

There’s a little pause, then Mia starts batting Thomas’ hands away so she can step away from him. “We went there for our honeymoon. It was lovely.”

Asha’s shoulders relax and she leans against Cullen a little harder, just because she can. “It  _ is _ lovely,” she agrees.

Cullen clears his throat before the conversation can continue. “Are Bran and Rosalie coming tomorrow, or…?”

“Yes! We’re gonna have breakfast here and then go to the lake for the day if that’s okay with you two. We’ll take a picnic. We’ll come back when the kids get tired.”

Thomas looks from his wife to Cullen and Asha, then jumps in as soon as she pauses for breath. “We should probably let them get some sleep before we subject them to all the kids in the morning. It looks like they’ve had a long trip.”

Asha opens her mouth to say she’s fine, but Cullen cuts in. “I could--I could use some sleep.”

Mia’s face falls. “Are you still not sleeping?”

Cullen shakes his head as Asha bites at her lip and looks up at him. “Just last night. I’m fine, Mia.” His voice sounds harder, a warning laced in his tone that Asha doesn’t understand, and she tries to ignore the way it makes her heart clench in her chest.

Mia just nods. She seems to understand and doesn’t push any further, though she clearly wants to. She opens her mouth and closes it once before trying again: “We put you in Lori’s room. She’s bunking with Ellie, so she might be a little grumpy tomorrow, but she’ll get over it pretty quick.”

She pushes past them, leading them back to the front entry and then up a flight of stairs. She turns down a hall and pushes into a bedroom, flipping on the light and stepping aside so they can fit through the door. Cullen puts their bags down by a large air mattress, carefully made up with blankets and pillows to make it as comfortable as possible for what it is.

Asha looks up sharply when she realizes Mia is still talking, blushing a little at her lapse, but Mia doesn’t seem to notice. “--towels for you in there so you don’t have to share with the kids. The shower is a little funny--the hot and cold lines are backwards, or something, so try to remember in the morning so you don’t freeze yourself out.” She turns, smiling, from the door to the bathroom off of Lori’s room and looks from Cullen to Asha and back. “Sleep well you too. We’ll catch up tomorrow!”

She breezes past them, patting Cullen on the arm as she does, and closes the door behind her. The latch clicks, and they’re alone again.

Cullen clears his throat, but when she looks back at him he’s staring at the bed. “I can, um, sleep in Lori’s--” he trails off, glancing up at the lofted twin bed that’s above Lori’s little desk and sighs. It wouldn’t be comfortable for either of them to sleep in.

She shakes her head and kneels next to her bag, unzipping it to pull out her smaller bag of toiletries and pajamas. “It’s fine, Cullen. I might steal the covers but I won’t kick you or anything.” She stands and smiles. “You’re okay?”

He hesitates again, but nods finally. “It’s fine.”

She steps around him to go into the bathroom. She gets ready for bed quickly, mindful that he’s waiting, putting on a pair of men’s plaid pajama pants and a too-big tshirt. She scrubs her face, brushes her teeth, ties her hair into a bun on top of her head, and walks back out into Lori’s room. Cullen’s already in a similar outfit for sleeping and he steps into the bathroom with just a half-smile in her direction.

Asha studies the bed for a moment, trying to decide which side to sleep on, then finally climbs in on the right and burrows under the covers. The air conditioning is strong, and she tries not to shiver in the time it takes for the blankets to accept her body heat.

Cullen comes out and snaps off the light before climbing in next to her.

They both hold very still, each trying not to disturb the other or make any noise. Asha chews on her lip, staring at the ceiling in the darkness, and finally rolls onto her side away from Cullen. The mattress shifts under her and she holds her breath as it settles. She wants to shift again as soon as she stops moving, but tries not to let herself.

“I talk in my sleep,” Cullen finally says, and Asha jumps at the sudden noise. She’s giggling at herself when Cullen continues, “I’m sorry if I wake you.”

Asha does let herself roll over then, turning to clutch the pillow to her chest as she smiles at him in the darkness. He’s on his back, one arm on his chest and the other over his head, but he turns to look at her too.

“I’m a sound sleeper,” she says. “And I really do steal the blankets. I’m always cold.”

Cullen hums, closing his eyes and turning his face back up towards the ceiling. “I’ve noticed.”

Asha breaths slowly, counting  _ in  _ and  _ out.  _ “Goodnight, Cullen.”

He hums again. “Sweet dreams.”


End file.
